A personality cult was built around the Führer. Hitler’s portraits and photographs were displayed everywhere in Germany. “Heil Hitler!” (“Hail Hitler!”) became legally obligatory as a common greeting, as did the Hitler salute of the right arm fully thrust forward with the palm facing downward.

Organizationally, the Führer stood at the apex of a hierarchy. Directly below him were several Reichsleiter (“Reich leaders”) with various portfolios, such as finance, propaganda, foreign policy, and law, as well as ReichsführerHeinrich Himmler, head of the unified police system. Also directly responsible to (and selected by) the Führer were many territorial leaders (43 in greater Germany) known as Gauleiter (“district leaders”).